Uncle Charlie
by Stormyskies89
Summary: 10-year-old Andrea is home sick from school, with no way to entertain her, Charlie invites her to sit in the garage with him while he helps her Dad solve a case. An insight into Charlie relationship with a 10-year-old.


**Title:** Uncle Charlie

**Summary:** 10-year-old Andrea is home sick from school, with no way to entertain her, Charlie invites her to sit in the garage with him while he helps her Dad solve a case.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Numb3rs never will. I only own Andrea and the DVDs.

**A/N:** NO FLAMES! Not accepted.

**2****nd**** A/N:** This is exclusively focused on Charlie's relationship with Andrea.

* * *

"Charlie? You up for babysitting?" Don asked as he shrugged on his jacket before going to work. Charlie had a bad feeling that this involved Don's daughter, Andrea.

"Why?" Charlie looked up from the papers he was marking.

"Andi, she's sick. She has to stay home. So I was hoping you could look after her. I mean – it is Saturday right? No classes?" Don said, as he made sure he had his badge and gun.

"Yeah, yeah, no classes…but what about the case?" Charlie said, he had taken a small break to mark the papers but he still had equations to do for the latest FBI case.

"Look, just sit Andrea in front of the TV with some cartoons, you'll be fine. Make sure she eats." Don said grabbing his keys, without waiting for a response from his brother he was out the door, leaving Charlie a little stunned. He wasn't used to looking after a little kid. He'd only had experience like hat one before with that little boy Don let stay with them after his mother was killed. But a little girl? A sick little girl? He didn't know if he could handle it. But cartoons he could do. He looked up when he heard harsh coughing and slow footsteps down the stairs.

"You ok Annie?" He asked as she stepped into sight. She looked up at him and Charlie could see that she didn't look well.

"Has Dad gone already?" She asked, her voice was hoarse from her sore throat and she coughed again.

"Yeah. Just left. Here," Charlie got up and went into the kitchen only to return moments later placing a glass of orange juice down on the table in front of Andrea, "hopefully it'll help." He sat down again and began to mark the papers once more.

* * *

Later that afternoon after making sure that Andrea had eaten something and sitting her down in front of the TV so she could watch what she wanted; Charlie retreated to the garage to continue the equations for Don. He was in the middle of one when a voice interrupted him.

"Uncle Charlie? What are you working on?" Andrea asked; he turned to see she had a glass in her hand, half full of Orange juice. The vitamin C in the juice should help fight off the cold and make her better in a few days.

"It's a case I'm working for your Dad." He replied, "but it's not working." Charlie rubbed his forehead. Andrea looked at the blackboards and felt her head start to hurt. Almost like she was thinking too hard and trying far too hard to work it out.

"Too many numbers. Makes my head hurt." Andrea said with a small laugh, "I understand math just not this many numbers." Charlie smiled, not many people would say that. Andrea was one-of-a-kind. She was smart though, she'd pointed out something to rape case months ago. Her biology and science mind was so clear and sharp that she knew what to look for and she knew where to look to get the answer she needed. Charlie and Andrea were like kindred spirits, but Charlie didn't believe in that stuff. He was happy that someone was brave enough to say that she didn't get it.

* * *

When Don came home that night he found Charlie and Andrea next to each other at the table, Andrea's math text between them. A box of tissues sat close to them and a half empty glass of juice. They looked up when he came in.

"Hey, what's you guys doing?" He asked coming over to lean over their shoulders.

"We got in touch with one of Annie's friends and they told us the work they did in Math today so I figured I'd help her out a little bit. She's good at Math just needed a little help." Charlie said.

"You're doing rudimentary math, Charlie? That's not like you. You're more a calculus person right? Fluid dynamics or something isn't it?" Don laughed.

"Not always, and why not rudimentary stuff? Breaks the cycle. Although I could do this at 24 months." Charlie smiled at Don as he spoke.

"Uncle Charlie offered to help. I'm used to seeing these numbers, but all the numbers and equations in the garage…hurt my head. So I got this out and Uncle Charlie says he'll help. Never had help before." Andrea said, "my teacher won't spare me the time, I'm a grade up right now, so she says I'm too smart. But it's different." Andrea said with a smile, she broke into a coughing fit and grabbed a few tissues to cover her mouth.

"I think you're getting worse. You up for more babysitting Charlie?" Don asked, a wide smile on his face and he patted his brother's shoulder.

"You know what Don? I think yeah, I might be." Charlie smiled and nodded.

"I'll just make sure I get all the work from my teachers. I'll talk to my classmates, my friends." Andrea said with a smile. She was happy if she got to spend more time with her Uncle Charlie. But then there was his classes tomorrow and she knew he had classes so unless he'd let her in a room full of undergrads someone would have to babysit her instead of Charlie.

"You like spending time with Charlie?" Don asked.

"I love spending time with my Uncle Charlie, Dad. He knows what I'm going through. Not that you don't. But you went through school cruising, I'm a year up in my studies. I'm younger than all the kids I'm mixing with and I'm only friends with one in each class. So I need someone else I can talk to." Andrea said, "Uncle Charlie is that someone else." Charlie gave Don a look that told his brother he was as surprised as Don was. He hadn't expected it either. But maybe Andrea just wanted to be able to talk to someone who understood. And Charlie…Uncle Charlie…he understood.

* * *

_This fic locks in with If I Lost You, Baby Eppes, Courage and all of these work in with my new Multi. So I suggest to read these because there will be looks and mentions of them in the Multi. Although the Multi follows Andrea from her arrival to her father to her life with the FBI._

_Review please!_


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